What: Mark Holihan, Kat Soini and Sienna Holihan will be presenting some late afternoon poetry and music at the Pie Factory in Margate on Saturday 29th August from 4pm. The performance will be based around the theme of the journey, both physically and spiritually and will feature original poetry and new, original acoustic music. Kat Soini is a local poet who writes popular blogs and is widely published. Originally from Finland, she writes both in English and Finnish and has been long-listed for the Canterbury Poet of the Year 2015. Mark is originally from the US and is an award-winning writer who has work published in many anthologies and is also long-listed for the Canterbury Poet of the Year 2015. Mark has his first collection coming out in 2016, published by Cultured Llama. Mark’s Twitter and Instagram. Sienna Holihan is studying Contemporary Crafts in Falmouth and is a popular local singer songwriter. She is known for her haunting melodies and striking, original lyrics. Her first EP was produced this year and will be available at the performance. Sienna’s Facebook page.

I am delighted to have a poem included in theAugust 2015 issue of Cyclamens and Swords. This is a special issue on the theme of ‘relationships’ and contains verse from 52 poets, 10 short stories, and some gorgeous artwork from 7 artists.

You can find my poem ‘no turning back now’ in the middle of Page 3. This is a poem I wrote in September 2011, in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep (this was during the last six months before PhD submission so I was more than likely stressing myself to insomnia) – I know that because the post date on my locked poetry journal is 01.57! It’s a disjointed hymn to youthful earnestness and conviction that it’s always possible to get up and leave.

Because of the sheer size of the issue I haven’t had a chance to do more than skim the poetry and admire some of the artwork (the short stories are on the ‘to read’ list!). So here are some extremely selective and extremely subjective recommendations of verse that resonated.

Summer Storm, a haiku sequence by Adelaide B. Shaw (her haiku blog here) – I am supremely awful at haiku or any kind of structured poetry so greatly admire such skill in others. These were lovely and fresh.

He Was an Artiste by Angelika Quirk – Women – even portraits of them – won’t be owned!

Nina’s Five Husbands by Art Heifetz – This made me chuckle out loud, the ending is priceless. I also lost quite a bit of time at the author’s poetry blog: Polished Brass Poems

While we wait by Ashwini Bhasi – A perfectly depicted moment

Lear and White spot by Britta R Kollberg – First will delight any Shakespeare fan, and the second makes me think of Alexander The Great though I doubt that was the intention

My Love For You and Multiverse by Christina Tang-Bernas – The first is lusciously visceral and the second is something every sci-fi (sci-fact!) fan has thought whilst cuddling to their loved one.

Speed Dating and Muriel and Robert by Johnmichael Simon – Gentle amusement at the vagaries of romance

“Death stalks me with a flower between her teeth” by Laurice Gilbert – Won me over with a Buffy reference and kept me with the rather clever and literary musings on death

Flight-Path Tel Aviv – Melbourne by Lilian Cohen – This one struck way too close for comfort

Kelp by Lytton Bell – Love the wild meeting of sea and shore

Being At Home, en Paris by Marian Kaplun Shapiro – Poetry that mixes languages always resonates with me. Also this reminds me of my own Paris poem. And the fact that sometime I probably should actually go there…

I have been terribly amiss about updating this blog but if it makes you feel better, the same is true for all my blogs. Also applicable to such things as ‘catching up with emails’ or ‘maintaining social relations in general’. So there is that. For the last two weeks I’ve been on holiday in Finland, and the several weeks before that I was basically brain dead from work. However, I’ve taken receiving a third ‘good news item’ regarding poems as a sign to ‘post already goddammit’.

So I’m posting. Goddammit.

Good news item 1. I’ve got a poem (no turning back now) accepted to the Cyclamens and Swords. The August issue where it will be is due out soon and I shall pimp it properly then, together with the usual mini-review of poems that I enjoy.

Good news item 2. A fellow poet has asked me to join him to do a reading at the Margate’s Pie Factory Gallery at the end of August. I don’t know any of the details yet but I am very flattered and excited by this. A reading! In a gallery! *flails a bit* Information to follow once I have it!

Good news item 3. My poem Such Mercy got longlisted for the Canterbury Poet of the Year competition. My reaction upon receiving the email was a resounding HOLY CRAP! This means that it is one of the 36 poems that will definitely be in the published anthology. Out of the longlist, the judges will then select a shortlist of 14. I have no expectations regarding that whatsoever, the longlisting alone has made me wide-eyed with giddy disbelief 😀

This all has definitely motivated me to keep writing and sending stuff out to magazines and competitions. I’m due another submission blitz soon I think…